VALLEY: Austin got it right

One of my favorite Boy Scouts from the ’70s, John Austin, wrote a choice piece of history in The Press. I go back much further in this history.

A Coeur d’Alene native since 1934, during my high school days the valley of tough miners’ kids, the high-income valley of Idaho, was called the “armpit of Idaho.” We came to play sports in Kellogg and Wallace, always glad to get back to our “green” hometown.

Now, 70 years later, the Silver Valley has become the tourist mecca of Idaho, playground for Kootenai County and Spokane, and points farther.

The EPA, via the Super Fund and the spirited people of the city of Kellogg fought back with awe-inspiring vision bringing the world’s longest gondola to a world-class ski hill, bike trails and forest recreation of many kinds. And what was known as “lead creek” is now a popular trout fishery in its lower reaches. What a fine job of describing this history in a nutshell John has done.

In my opinion, the “inventive young man” Ed Pommeraning should have a bronze monument for the part he has played in changing “How Gray Was My Valley” to “How Green Is My Valley.” And…a river runs through it.

John, thanks for the memories.

RON BOOTHE

Kingston